dominate

verb

ˈdä-mə-ˌnāt How to pronounce dominate (audio)
Definition of dominatenext
1
as in to subdue
to bring under one's control by force of arms The tyrant used brute force to dominate all countries in the region.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to overlook
to look down on The remains of an ancient fortress dominate the town.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dominate The interior consists of one very large open space, dominated by oversized tabletops that host complex miniature battles. — New Atlas, 3 Aug. 2026 In this sense, films such as Jeff Nichols’ Mud or [Hirokazu] Kore-eda’s Nobody Knows have inspired us greatly through the power of a child’s perspective on a world dominated by adults. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026 The best, buzziest, and overall most exciting acts this year were all young women who dominated their stage. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026 Other rattlesnakes dominating state hazards include the prairie rattlesnake in North Dakota, the Mojave rattlesnake in Nevada and the eastern massasauga in Michigan. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dominate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dominate
  1. subdue
  2. overlook
  3. conquer
  4. front
  5. subject
  6. defeat
  7. overcome
Verb
  • Consumer prices have likewise been subdued, with a slower-than-expected 1% rise in June from a year ago.
    — Matthew Tan,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Often, the review said, officers had to subdue aggressive dogs by the neck with a catch pole in order to load them onto patrol vehicles without ramps and walk them up to cages, a departure from industry standards.
    — Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of subdue
Verb
  • This 58-room resort overlooking the Adriatic is actually two distinct properties joined by a narrow isthmus.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Visitors can also anticipate a new section devoted to the history of the Uffizi collection, plus a new reception area to the museum’s Magliabechiana Hall overlooking the Piazza del Grano, to name just a few changes ahead.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of overlook
Verb
  • The 42-year-old conquered the Via Alpina, which involves traversing a vast European alpine region stretching east to west from Italy, through Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and finally France and Monaco.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • In the eighteenth century, while Russia fixated on conquering Eurasia, Britain developed the steam engine; in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, while Europeans fought over Africa, Americans mastered the assembly line.
    — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of conquer
Verb
  • Renderings show a larger hotel building fronted along Northeast 23rd Street while a smaller boutique hotel lines the property along North Main Street.
    — Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Hansard achieved international fame starring in the 2007 drama Once and fronted the rock band the Frames and the duo Swell Season.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of front
Verb
  • Then founder and master distiller Joe McGirr subjects his spirit to a vapor chamber chockablock with even more juniper.
    — Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • That effort was spurred by what union members claim were execrable working conditions to which they were subjected during the recent heat wave that gripped London.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 30 July 2026
Definition of subject
Verb
  • Martínez was a headache to both pitchers, hitting a grand slam against Sandlin and finishing with a career-high six RBIs as the Guardians defeated the Sox 8-2.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • But the technology for defeating ballistic missiles has advanced significantly since the Cold War.
    — Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • Prosecutors will have to overcome a few key hurdles in their case.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Four firefighters were killed and a fifth was injured after they were overcome by a fast-moving wildfire in Colorado, near the Utah border, in June.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of overcome

Browse Nearby Words

dominant
dominate
dominated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dominate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dominate. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dominate

Nglish: Translation of dominate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dominate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All